Boulder County approves disposition of 14 flood-buyout parcels after public hearing; one commissioner objects

BOULDER, Colo. — The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 on April 8 to accept staff recommendations for the disposition of 14 of 16 flood-buyout parcels acquired after the 2013 flood, moving forward with transfers to a mix of neighboring owners, tribal groups and conservation organizations while retaining two parcels for county use or future consideration.

Staff presented the recommendations during a public hearing attended by neighbors, applicants and tribal representatives. Tina Burkhart, Parks and Open Space, told the board, “Today, I'm here to present staff's proposal for the disposition of 14 of the 16 flood buyout properties to the recommended recipients.” She summarized the county’s outreach, application review and legal constraints that shape how the properties can be used.

The applications process ran May 1–June 30; staff said it fielded more than 60 inquiries and received 228 applications, of which staff considered 189 eligible (176 for HUD-funded properties and 13 for FEMA-funded properties). Burkhart and Janice Westman, Real Estate Division manager, explained that FEMA-funded parcels have stricter deed restrictions: they may be conveyed only to public entities or qualified conservation organizations, require FEMA approval for transfers and must be monitored by the county every three years to confirm deed-restriction compliance. Westman said, “The intended use in the application was open space, so that's what the slide is intended to convey,” and reiterated that HUD-funded parcels do not require HUD approval for…